Friday, August 8, 2014
By NICO SCAVELLA
THE leader of the Democratic National Alliance has challenged the Prime Minister to “bring it on” after Mr Christie said Wednesday he would be seeking legal action over what he considered to be “defamatory” allegations made by Branville McCartney.
Mr McCartney said yesterday that he encourages the Prime Minister to take legal action as it might be the only way to get some clarification on the issue of Parliamentary Secretary Renward Wells’ signing of a letter of intent (LOI) to build a $650m waste-to-energy plant at the New Providence landfill.
“I was surprised that he (Mr Christie) answered because he has not been answering anything recently,” Mr McCartney said at a press conference at his law office. “But he is encouraged. This will give us an opportunity to cross-examine the good Prime Minister in a court of law and that is where we would probably be able to get the necessary answers needed by this country. So he is most encouraged to take that course.
“We’ll see if he does, because he would be the plaintiff and he subjects himself to cross-examination. He would be cross-examined diligently and that may be the way we get the answers this government has been keeping from the Bahamian people. So bring it on, Christie.”
After news broke last month about Mr Wells’ signing of the LOI, there has been heated public debate on whether he should remain in Parliament over concerns that he might have acted without proper authorisation.
The Nassau Guardian reported that Mr Christie had asked Mr Wells to resign over the matter, but the parliamentary secretary has not left his post. Last week he told The Tribune that he had no plans to resign.
On Tuesday Mr McCartney said he was reliably informed that the reason Mr Wells has yet to be fired or pressured to resign is because, he had claimed, it was Mr Christie who had given him the “go-ahead” to sign.
Mr Christie responded on Wednesday by calling those allegations a “most serious and malicious defamation” of his character and said the allegation was “categorically denied” and “absolutely false.” He added that he had instructed his attorneys to “take steps as they may deem appropriate against the persons responsible for the publication of the defamatory statements in question.”
However, Mr McCartney said that the fact that Mr Christie responded so swiftly to the allegations, but has yet to address the main issue suggests that something “continues to stink” surrounding the signing of the LOI.
“He answered within 24 hours,” he said, “but two weeks later he has yet to respond to the circumstances surrounding the signing of the LOI. What a disgrace. Two weeks after our prime minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas (reportedly) said that Mr Wells must resign, Mr Wells still sits as the parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Works.
“Since Mr Christie is so keen on answering questions within 24 hours we have some other questions for him. Can he answer why Mr Wells still sits as parliamentary secretary after he has (reportedly) asked him to resign? Can Mr Christie, since he is answering questions so quickly now, confirm certain things? Can he do that for us? Can he please govern this country? Can he be the Prime Minister, at least for a day?”
When asked if he felt that he defamed Mr Christie’s character, Mr McCartney said: “No, not at all.”
He did say, however ,that Mr Christie’s response was a “total disrespect for the country” and that his relative silence over the past few weeks on the matter left a lot to interpretation.
“For him to just skim over the real issue is just a total disrespect to all of us, whether you’re FNM, PLP, DNA or otherwise,” he said. “(In) any other country he would’ve been asked to leave. You can’t do that in any civilised country. How brazen are you, sitting there, head up high, strutting around and not saying anything to the Bahamian people who put you there?
“We can’t continue with this foolishness. We cannot continue with this bad governance. It is not helping our country, it’s not helping Bahamians, and at the end of the day we are digressing. This is just a pure disgrace, and I’m embarrassed. Is Mr Christie truly the Prime Minister of this country? Should not the Prime Minister of this country know about a $600m deal?”
Mr Christie has said that he is currently investigating the matter.
Comments
Honestman says...
I think we all know there will be no litigation!!!! How long does it take for the Prime Minister to get to the bottom of what happened? A couple of five minute phone calls?
Posted 8 August 2014, 11:30 a.m. Suggest removal
sheeprunner12 says...
This is the oldest threat in the book................ listen to how many PLP Ministers have used that to silence critics......... Fred, Obie and V Alfred Gray love to say that....... wonder why??????
Posted 8 August 2014, 11:33 a.m. Suggest removal
ThisIsOurs says...
Forgot Brave..although he hasn't really threatened to sue over the missing fortune for the widow as yet, just hinted at it.
Posted 8 August 2014, 12:58 p.m. Suggest removal
Publius says...
Christie is bluffing as usual, but Branville is a funny guy, because if Christie were not bluffing, it is hilarious if Branville thinks the person who supposedly told him this information is going to stand in a court of law and repeat the allegation on his behalf! Branville has no proof of anything, he simply repeated something he was told.
Posted 8 August 2014, 12:38 p.m. Suggest removal
BDN says...
May be true, but if he keeps it up and there is no response from Perry, somethings up.
Posted 8 August 2014, 12:41 p.m. Suggest removal
Cobalt says...
@Publius. Brandville has no proof because no one, including those responsible, have been forthcoming with any truth!!!! That's the entire problem!!!! The only persons who've mention anything remotely close to this issue has been Leslie Miller and PBD!!! And even both of them failed to address the heart of the matter as it relates to Mr Wells!! As Brandville has stated, PCG complete silence on this matter has left the door open for much conjecture and speculation!!! It's easy to commit an infraction; refuse to give any information regarding the infraction; and then tell oppositional parties that their claims regarding the infraction has no proof or validity!!!! The reason that Brandville McCartney and the Bahamian public have no proof as to what really transpired, is because PGC as usual, refuses to be forthcoming with any truthful information on the matter!!!! This is classic PLP bull-shit!!! And then to make matters even worst, he's attempting to insult the intelligence of sensible Bahamians by telling us the he's launching an investigation into the matter!!! Spare us the hogwash please!!! The truth is.... all Perry Christie is doing is attempting to buy time, hoping that eventually the Bahamian people will forget about the issue and allow him and his government to continue with more of their incompetent, unaccountable, bungling governance!!!!
Posted 8 August 2014, 1:59 p.m. Suggest removal
Honestman says...
As in the case of the Attorney General and the Nolle Prosequi. Remember that one?
Posted 9 August 2014, 8:20 a.m. Suggest removal
Emac says...
I am beginning to like Branville's way of thinking. Keep their feet on the coal DNA, cause the damn opposition certainly isn't doing.
Posted 8 August 2014, 1:01 p.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
I predicated two weeks ago on these hereto Tribune blog pages that Renard's Bamboo Town seat will become vacant and I'm sticking to my story.
Comrade Bran will soon have his personal opportunity in a Bamboo Town by election to test whether his sitting up in his cozy Montagu offices is enough to get a fringe political party's leader elected to the House of Assembly? Who knows, just maybe the laid-back swag is the going to be the acceptable way to win a House seat in modern day politics? After all, why would you even bother wasting your precious time and energy, pushing the flesh with the electorate if, sitting up in your cozy Montagu law offices, writing press releases is swagger sufficient to win a seat?
..........////https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynfk7izWNE8
Good for you Bran .. cause I see the expensive jacket and tie have suddenly vanished. But were it not for the story's photo who would have known? Bran time get on up and out to start acting like you have leadership credibility.
Posted 8 August 2014, 1:04 p.m. Suggest removal
ThisIsOurs says...
What a mess they've (plural) made of their opportunity to govern, they spend so much time cleaning up SLOP when do they find time for any real thinking or work?
Posted 8 August 2014, 1:16 p.m. Suggest removal
ThisIsOurs says...
Agree with the 2nd part of the argument not the 1st. The media didn't make Renward do anything. In his position, at minimum, he would have known full well that KPMG was either in process of or had already made a decision that had some impact on the agreement he was signing. Signing the letter would have made him **complicit** in a breech of standard practices and procedures. He doesn't look like Bo Peep whether he was forced to sign or not.
The media didn't make Leslie tell us about how he beat a former girlfriend. The media didn't make his colleagues roll on the floor laughing at a tale of a man beating a woman. The media didn't make Shane give some story about creating 30,000 jobs. The media didn't make Brave as executor of a 10million dollar estate hand over a total of 70,000 to the widow who according to the will, was to receive "**everything else**". The media didn't make Koed Smith remove evidence after Fred Smith's car glass was smashed. The media didn't make (BJ or Brave can't recall which) tell us that we need to excuse his fellow parliamentarians/cabinet members from their unethical practices because they simply ~need more money from us and they have to get it however they can.
All of these are failings of character and lack of evidence of any firm of leadership. No ethical leader would tolerate this foolishness.
Posted 8 August 2014, 5:30 p.m. Suggest removal
ThisIsOurs says...
I care about the character of the people leading my country, I think it's important, but last paragraph, (minus Shane bit), I completely agree, character of the people being lead is also equally important.
Posted 9 August 2014, 5:14 a.m. Suggest removal
ThisIsOurs says...
Sure all news media has a political bias, they're made up of people who generally are biased one way or the other to varying degrees. ZNS for example is clearly biased toward the governing party. The
Tribune is biased toward the FNM **but** I have seen them speak out on multiple occasions against the Ingraham administration, don't even talk about the run up to 2002 they were firing cannons then.
As to my not speaking out here and hypocrisy, hah:) wrong-o. I was on snail mail previously. I actually recall a friend telling me waaaayyy back in 1999 (as you are inferring) today, "what do you think writing will do", A nice Christmas gift got me on here, so it's nothing to do with liking FNM or not liking PLP
I am neither FNM or PLP. I want people with character leading the country. My hope in the candidates I see today is gone, on all three sides. My prayer is that someone will rise up, 40 years in the wilderness, Moses needs to be laid to rest on the mountaintop. All the people with the old destructive way of thinking need to be moved to the side. its about time for Joshua and Caleb to shout *here am I*. I'm not looking to them just because they're young, or nice looking or have on a pretty suit or simply because they're new. I want to hear what they have to say, I want to hear what people say about them in various scenarios, I want to know what kind of family man/woman they are. all speaks to character. I want to see the character of the people they've chosen to stand beside them. I want them to articulate how they plan to change the country, I want to see their vision written down in a **REALISTIC** plan.
You have your views and I have mine, that's what makes it interesting, and don't even throw birdie in the mix then you get some true comedy.
Posted 9 August 2014, 5:32 a.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
There is this sense (reality) Comrade Bran can only win a House seat by riding Papa Hubert's coat tails and left on he own he ain't much of a force to be reckoned with. Maybe, Bran struggles to communicate one on one with the electorate. Can you think of a single interview where a reporter or talk show host - ever put Bran on the spot to be made to defend how he became the green party's leader... and after you've discounted his Montagu press releases, to date .... you're ain't left with nothing else more than a vote spoiler fringe party's leader? Time for the PM to call the Bamboo Town by election to put the peddle to Bran's leadership. Answering the big question .... is Brans leadership for real or make believe?
Posted 8 August 2014, 2:43 p.m. Suggest removal
Emac says...
Where the hell is concernedcitizen and banker? Haven't heard from them in awhile. I always use to look forward to their comments. But I remember banker saying that he was offered a job off this rock.
Posted 9 August 2014, 10:29 a.m. Suggest removal
Emac says...
LOL...You are crazy indeed.
Posted 9 August 2014, 6:01 p.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
Papa Hubert Dresses Down Bamboo Town
............//https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ryov_YJYqQ
Posted 9 August 2014, 4:20 p.m. Suggest removal
sheeprunner12 says...
Get back on point ................................... Who is Perry's lawyer (s) ?????????????
Posted 9 August 2014, 6:46 p.m. Suggest removal
Cobalt says...
Lol! You know Perry Christie ain ga do nuttin. He jus blowin hot-air as usual.
Posted 10 August 2014, 2:46 p.m. Suggest removal
Cobalt says...
And now that I think about it.... Brandville McCartney is a bag of hot-air himself. The Bahamian people are still waiting for his DNA to establish itself as a legitimate party. For example... when is the DNA's convention? Who are the proposed candidates? Has Brandville been elected leader by party members? Where is their manifesto? If Brandville McCartney and the DNA were serious about contending in the political arena for the Government of the Bahamas, then these questions would have been answered by now.
Posted 10 August 2014, 3:14 p.m. Suggest removal
ThisIsOurs says...
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Posted 11 August 2014, 4:15 a.m. Suggest removal
ThisIsOurs says...
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Posted 11 August 2014, 4:15 a.m. Suggest removal
ThisIsOurs says...
Completely agree. Jokes on all 3 sides. I'm not willing to usher him in because he's young, attractive, "book smart" or simply because he's the fresh new thing in Town. I have serious doubts about his motives as well as those of the guy beside him, self aggrandizement all over again. Show me what you plan to do. Show me what your standards are.
Posted 11 August 2014, 4:16 a.m. Suggest removal
Bahamianpride says...
Any qualified new blood with the character and integrity to lead injected into the current system of Bahamian politics will be destroyed by the Hyenas of Bahamian politics or looked at with great suspicion by the multitude of ignorant people that have been brain washed by 4 decades of PLP/FNM lies and corruption. If u refuse to be a part of the corruption or buy into the system of the old gaurd they will destroy your character first with false rumors and lies. These lies could easily be countered with facts but when u have a large segment of the population ignorant or indoctrinated into tribalist party politics its a uphill battle. End result, another 5 years of plp/ fnm dinasaurs running the nation.
Posted 11 August 2014, 6:39 a.m. Suggest removal
Cobalt says...
So true
Posted 11 August 2014, 12:16 p.m. Suggest removal
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